Scaling R&D teams for a leading oncology biotech
Exelixis is a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oncology therapies. Through a long-term partnership, we supported the company across major shifts in its R&D strategy—providing RPO, permanent, and contract hiring support to help scale scientific teams, navigate organizational change, and deliver specialized talent for its oncology pipeline.
170
placements to date
70
R&D hires made in 2022/3
Challenge
Exelixis is one of our longest-standing West Coast clients, originally signed in 2017. Over the years, they experienced significant fluctuations in their R&D strategy, including major expansions, an RPO build-out, and later a large organizational shift that reduced internal R&D capacity. Their talent function also underwent instability, including leadership turnover and decentralized ownership of roles, making hiring consistency and alignment more challenging.
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Approach
To support Exelixis through these changing phases, we:
- Built a long-term, relationship-driven engagement model across hiring managers and teams
- Delivered a dedicated RPO for their R&D build-out, including on-site presence weekly
- Provided both permanent and contract support (with contract hiring later transitioning to their MSP)
- Prioritized adaptability, navigating internal structural changes, shifting role coverage, and varying levels of recruiter engagement
During the RPO period and beyond, we supported Exelixis across their full R&D expansion, delivering large-scale hiring over approximately 18 months.
Key highlights include:
- Approximately 170 placements to date
- 70+ R&D hires made in 2022–2023 alone during the RPO phase
- Continuous support across scientific and technical functions tied to their oncology pipeline
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Results
- A multi-year partnership that has continued through organizational changes and shifting R&D priorities
- Successfully scaled their teams during critical expansion phases
- Maintained strong working relationships across individual hiring leaders, ensuring Exelixis consistently turns to us when specialist hiring support is needed
